1. Field of the Invention
This invention refers in general to automatic smoke evacuator system and methods therefor for laser and electrosurgical apparatus and, in particular, to automatic smoke evacuator systems and methods therefor for a laser surgical apparatus and an electrosurgical unit (ESU) in which the radio frequency (RF) energy which is necessarily associated with the operation of the laser surgical apparatus and ESU is detected by an RF sensor which then actuates the operation of the automatic smoke evacuator system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a surgical laser apparatus utilized a smoke evacuator system which was manually turned on and off , but which was generally continuously operated during a surgical laser procedure. A smoke evacuator system functioned with a surgical laser apparatus. The smoke evacuator systems produced a constant noise during its use or operation, used a high amount of electrical energy and the continuous air pressure on the filter element of the smoke evacuator systems usually saturated or overloaded the system's filter thereby increasing the risk of allowing toxic fumes which were supposed to be evacuated from the surgical area to escape uncontrolled into the medical operating room rather than being vented outside in accord with the intended function of the smoke evacuator system. Further, for safety purposes, the FDA does not allow any device to be in electrical contact with the control circuitry of a surgical laser. Therefore, there was clearly great benefit to the surgeon and to the operating room staff if the smoke evacuator systems was activated only during the period of time the laser surgical apparatus was actually in Operation. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,389 provides a solution to these problems of past systems by Providing an automatic smoke evacuator system in which the required activation of the smoke evacuator is initiated by the interruption of a beam of electromagnetic radiation. In the preferred embodiment, the beam of electromagnetic radiation is an infrared beam which is interrupted by a foot switch which is coupled to the laser ESU and which controls its actuation. As is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,389, this system greatly improves the safety and effectiveness of the operating environment for laser surgical procedures and has provided great benefit in it use.